Treatise on the Art of Silk

Treatise on the Art of Silk

Silk – the embodiment of luxury and wealth to this day. Similarly, Florentine silks are counted among the best of what is created from modern silk production. Already in the 15th century, precious raw silk from Asia was being woven into splendid and costly materials, which were in great demand among the monarchs and nobility of that time. The mastery with which this complex craft was practiced turned the Italian city into the center of the Renaissance silk industry. There are still some silk weaving mills in Florence today, which pursue this masterful and simultaneously mysterious craft with passion.

A Textbook on Weaving Silk

This great art of weaving silk is brought back to life in the manuscript with the shelf mark Plut.89sup.cod.11 in the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana in Florence. In this treatise on Florentine silk art, originating from the year 1489, was the only manuscript to describe the steps for producing silk in detail. It was probably in this manner that the complex craft could be conveyed to the apprentices in various workshops. Weaving silk – a simultaneously mysterious and masterful art – was gorgeously illustrated with water colors. Alongside the complex weaving techniques and the remaining technical aspects of the work, the commercial side of weaving silk also comes up: in the end, the treatise was furnished with gorgeous marginal illustration by merchants**.

Mysterious Vocabulary

This historical testimonial of the important Florentine art of weaving silk was appended by a printed book from the year 1868, which is based on Codex 1580 of the Biblioteca Riccordiana. In this work, composed by Girolamo Garciolli, the reader finds inter alia an index and helpful explanations of special words and terms from the craft of weaving silk. In this way, the compendium offers the unique opportunity to occupy oneself with the fascinating craft of weaving silk in 15th century Florence. A truly enchanting world of luxury and splendor!